Crash

Film

Time Out says

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Time Out says

LA, now: over 36 hours or so, a selection
of typically (conveniently?) diverse Angelenos try to cope with the complexity
of living in a rough, tough multi-racial society. Cops and law-enforcers of
several ethical and anatomical hues (Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Ryan Philippe,
William Fichtner, Brendan Fraser) feature prominently, along with others
involved in one kind of crime or another as culprits, victims or witnesses
(potential or actual): car-jackers, a Latino locksmith, an Iranian storekeeper,
a daytime-TV actor, a seemingly helpless ‘Chinaman’ and various partners
professional or personal (Thandie Newton and Sandra Bullock included).
If that sounds an
almost Altman-esque tall order for an American movie, rest assured
writer-director Haggis (who wrote Eastwood's superb ‘Million Dollar Baby’) has
won some fulsome praise for this ensemble drama evoking the tensions in
post-9/11 LA. It’s certainly not an unambitious or unintelligent film,
outlining its slightly frayed thesis from the start with a terse but resonant
reflection on the paucity of contact between folk divided/protected by metal
and glass. Indeed, it starts promisingly with a series of vivid vignettes
(though these tend to slip too easily into verbal insult and fiery volatility)
and a clutch of more substantial scenes that look set to lead to intriguing
consequences: one pay-off with Dillon and Newton generates cruel irony and
suspense despite depending on credibility-stretching coincidence, while a brief
encounter between Cheadle and Fichtner explores pleasingly murky waters. Then
things steadily fall apart. An already over-eventful narrative – what, another
crash? – teeters into melodramatic implausibility, loose ends unravel and the
final quarter-hour offers little more than a hackneyed, hollow, wrily
reassuring hymn to acceptance, resignation and – yes – redemption. Compare this
to superficially similar but politically, philosophically and dramatically
superior works like ‘Code Unknown’ or ‘City of Hope’ and the shortcomings and
compromises become clear; this is more ‘Grand Canyon’ or, to be generous,
‘Magnolia’ (savour that snow!). In the City of Angels, maybe it feels
deep; here, probably less so.